“Breathin’ ”: Guangzhou Immigrant Eddie Zheng’s Inspiring Story

One could say that Eddy Zheng (left) made something of himself
despite being incarcerated at San Quentin prison for 19 years plus another two
in immigration detention.The Cantonese
immigrant from Guangzhou, China, was only 16 when he waved a gun and participated
in a home invasion.

While he buffed up his body from careful exercise, he also
took care of his mind. Reading about Asian American and other people of color
struggles in the prison library – led him to enhance the collection as he
managed to get the prison authorities to add many more books on such
struggles.He petitioned the authorities
to implement Asian American studies in prison – instead he got put in solitary
confinement – the hole – as punishment for daring to ask that.

Ben Wang, director

In the meantime, he earned an associate degree by enrolling
in a prison program. And through it all, the activist community reached out to
him, offering him support even as he got turned down repeatedly by the parole
board, until the last time, which was successful.But then he was placed in immigration
detention because he was not able to apply for citizenship while incarcerated.

In the end, it was through a gubernatorial pardon (from
California Governor Jerry Brown) that led to his deportation case being ended. Eventually he was officially released in 2007.Now free, he managed to get San Quentin to implement
Asian American studies.

This man, now 47, remains committed to community service,
and through an intermediary, successfully reached out to the mother he
victimized when he was 16, with his written apology (in Chinese) accepted.

Scott "Chops" Jung, composer

Director Ben Wang (above, right) has put
together a tightly edited documentary, "Breathin': The Eddy Zheng Story," on the power of reconciliation and redemption
and about how writers like Helen Zia (author of Asian American Dreams and other works) inspired this inmate to commit his life to
community work, while even within the dark recesses of solitary confinement.

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This is a blog that pierces convention and disrupts the status quo. We seek intelligent turbulence over boring stability and creative uncertainty over certitude. Chaos is good. Stay tuned for future missives!